Scan barcode
antlersantlers's review
I love this book conceptually. Jane Yolen puts historic photos taken between 1882 and 1907 in Hatfield, MA next to the same house in the modern (1998) town. We have this book categorized in the 900s (with the books about Massachusetts) where it doesn't circulate, but I think it would have done a lot better if were located in the 700s with the architecture books. The reason why I'm discarding the book from the collection is that each set of photos is accompanied by some text about the world in the late 1800s compared to the world of 1998. There are a lot of price and statistics comparisons that are just so dated! Minimum wage ($5.25/hour), the price of a hamburger at McDonalds (69 cents), the percentage of the population that smoke (24%), and just the general prevalence of phone lines and faxes -- all this stuff really shows the age of the book. We also have books in our collection like [b:Milwaukee Then and Now|120574|Milwaukee Then and Now|Sandra Ackerman|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1328755415s/120574.jpg|116103] that do a similar thing but are specific to Milwaukee.
jaborch's review
4.0
So I was forced to shelve a cart of book in the children's 900s today when I stumbled across this mis-shelved gem. Yolen presents side-by-side photographs of homes in Hatfield in 1900 and modern day (1998). Beneath each photo she has a brief blurb explaining some fact of daily life in both times. The photos are fine, that's not why I love this book.
I love this book because I know each of these homes, at least at time of publication, had honest to god rooms in them. No hateful open concept entryway/living/dining/office/kitchens here. No cookie cutter HGTV renovations where every aspect of the main living space is opened onto each other.
To be clear, there are no interior photos, I'm just imagining these turn of the last century homes to be unmolested by modern interior design trends. I mean I have to hope that one day when I can afford to buy a home, it will have a kitchen with a door that I can shut.
I love this book because I know each of these homes, at least at time of publication, had honest to god rooms in them. No hateful open concept entryway/living/dining/office/kitchens here. No cookie cutter HGTV renovations where every aspect of the main living space is opened onto each other.
To be clear, there are no interior photos, I'm just imagining these turn of the last century homes to be unmolested by modern interior design trends. I mean I have to hope that one day when I can afford to buy a home, it will have a kitchen with a door that I can shut.
More...